The invention relates to a method for cleaning a vehicle with a vehicle washing facility which comprises at least one first cleaning tool which is vertically aligned and can be moved past the vehicle to be cleaned in a longitudinal and in a transverse direction thereof and at least one second cleaning tool which is horizontally aligned, can be moved in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and can be adjusted in a vertical direction in accordance with the contour of the vehicle.
In addition, the invention relates to a vehicle washing facility for carrying out the method.
The cleaning of a vehicle in a vehicle washing facility is normally brought about by means of cleaning brushes which can be moved along the vehicle and during the cleaning touch the surface of the vehicle for removing dirt. Vehicle washing facilities are also known, with which the cleaning takes place without any contact in that a cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the vehicle under high pressure. For this purpose, a plurality of nozzle arrangements are normally used which are aligned vertically and horizontally and surround the vehicle to be cleaned in the manner of a portal frame.
The longitudinal sides of a vehicle can normally be cleaned by means of the first cleaning tools specified at the outset, for example, in the form of wash brushes rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation and the second cleaning tools specified at the outset, for example, in the form of a wash brush rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation are normally used for cleaning the hood, the roof of the vehicle as well as, where applicable, the trunk lid. The front and rear sections of the vehicle which are particularly prone to dirt are often cleaned not only with the first but also with the second cleaning tools. For this purpose, the first cleaning tools can be displaced not only in a longitudinal direction but also in a transverse direction along the vehicle and the second cleaning tools can be lowered in a vertical direction to such an extent that the front and rear sections can also be covered with their help. If, however, extra long vehicles are intended to be cleaned, it is possible that the space within the vehicle washing facility will not be sufficient for moving the two cleaning tools around the entire vehicle.
The object of the present invention is to make available a method of the type specified at the outset as well as a vehicle washing facility suitable for this purpose, with the aid of which extra long vehicles can also be cleaned.